


Close Shave

by Torra



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-27
Updated: 2009-11-27
Packaged: 2017-10-03 21:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torra/pseuds/Torra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cody loves his mustache, it's his <i>trademark</i>...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close Shave

"Why don't you just shave it off, Uncle Cody? It makes you look _old_."

Cody gave a puzzled look to the reflection of his goddaughter sitting behind him on his bed. "What's that supposed to mean? Shave what off?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "That _thing_ on your lip. Why don't you shave it off? No one _else_ wears mustaches."

"Hey, now, I love this mustache!" He turned off the electric razor and put his hands on his hips, still looking at her reflection. "What's wrong with it?"

"It looks _silly_. And it's going grey."

His eyes widened. "It is not!"

"Yes, it is. Right there, that spot." She pointed a long finger to the streak of a distinctly not-blond to the left of Cody's nose.

Cody brushed a finger across the spot self-consciously. "I'll have you know that that spot is where--"

"Where the guy cut your lip when you jumped in front of Daddy to protect him, I know, you've told me the story a dozen times." She heaved a great, put-upon sigh and tossed a dark braid over one shoulder.

"I have?" He frowned and turned to more fully face his own reflection, his fingers dancing over his upper lip.

"Yeah, you have. You tell it at every one of his birthday parties."

"Well," he shook his head, fingers moving with it, "it was an important day. I saved--"

"You saved Daddy's life." She recited along with him.

He frowned at her, and then at himself again. Finally, he set the razor in his other hand down onto the small table, and put two fingers over his lip, and then removed them, before putting them back again. "Do you really think I should? I mean, it's my _trademark_."

"Your what?" Nikki tilted her head to the side.

"Something I'm known for. Everyone knows I have a mustache."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes again, "because _no one else does_, so you're easy to pick out."

"Well...I guess they're not as common as they used to be..." He trailed off thoughtfully.

"It's _silly_. And you _look_ silly. You should just shave it off," she nodded decisively.

"I don't know." He tilted his head back and forth. "I do like it."

"It's _grey_."

"Only in that one spot."

"You look _old_."

"I _am_ old."

"Not as old as you look," she pointed out.

He sighed. "I don't know..."

"_No one_ wears mustaches anymore." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It's _ridiculous_."

His hand absently reached for the razor again. "I have been wearing it for a long time."

"Been wearing what a long time?" Nick asked, swinging into the room with a grin and a quick kiss to both their cheeks. "Because if it's that hideous bathrobe, yes, you have. It's time to retire it, Cody."

"Uncle Cody is going to shave off his mustache!" Nikki bounced on the bed, sure of her victory.

Nick straightened up quickly, eyes wide. "He's going to _what_?" He turned on Cody. "You're _not_!"

Cody looked at the electric razor in his hand, confused as to how it got back there. "It was just a thought..."

Nick rolled his eyes, and gave a stern look to the girl on the bed. "Yeah, _whose_ thought, I wonder." Nikki giggled, hand quickly coming up to cover her mouth. Nick nodded to himself. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Cody blinked, finally turning away from the mirror. "What's that mean?"

Nick didn't take his eyes off his namesake. "How much did she bet you?"

"Who?" Nikki gave her godfather the biggest, roundest, most innocent eyes she could manage, but Nick just shook his head.

"_Melba_, is who. How much did she bet you?"

Nikki heaved another great sigh, giving up the game. "Six extra birthday presents." She looked down at her feet, kicking the side of the bed.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Of course she did." He put his hands on the back of her shoulders, and gave her a gentle shove off the bed and towards the door. "Go pack, your father will be here any minute."

She giggled again, earning her a playful swat on the backside as she passed, and hurried off to the room on the other side of the boat which had once been home to her father. Nick shook his head again and walked over to wrap his arms around his partner from behind, kissing his smooth cheek. "I can't believe you almost got talked into shaving off your mustache by a ten year old."

Cody rolled his eyes and tossed the razor aside again. "I don't know, Nick, she might be right."

"She took a bet from _Melba_ that she could get you to shave it off." Nick laughed.

Cody rolled his eyes again. "But she did have some good points." He began tilting his head from side-to-side again, examining it in the mirror. "They're not exactly the height of fashion anymore."

Nick laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, like you ever wore it _because_ it was the height of fashion. You're gay, Cody, but you're not _that_ gay."

Cody snorted, but didn't stop examining his face. "I heard a couple of kids call it a 'porn 'stache' when I passed them last week." He sighed forlornly.

Nick buried his head in Cody's shoulder where it met his neck and snorted a laugh into it. He chuffed softly to himself for a few minutes while Cody deliberately ignored him, before pulling away with a few tender kisses to the spot. "You're just being silly now. It's your trademark."

"It's grey." Cody sighed.

Nick turned him around and kissed the ever slowly widening streak of gray in Cody's lip. "It's distinguished."

"It makes me look _old_," Cody groaned, looking uncertainly at Nick from beneath his lashes. "Doesn't it?"

Nick shook his head lovingly and kissed Cody softly on the lips. "If you really want it gone, I'm not going to argue with you. I just think you should shave it off because you _want_ to, not because you got tricked by a ten year old who's got you wrapped around her finger."

"Like she doesn't have you, too."

"But I don't have a mustache for her to con me out of." He smirked.

Cody sighed. "Really, Nick. Do you like it?"

"I love it. But then, I love you, so I'm rather partial on the subject. You've had it almost as long as I've known you, and definitely for as long as I've loved you." Nick gave him a tender look and gave him another kiss. "I've gotten kinda used to it." He gave Cody's arms a squeeze before patting them. "Come on, Murray and Cindy will be here in a few minutes. I'd better check on Nichole's packing, make sure she gets it all into the suitcases. Come on out when you've decided you're done shaving."

Cody sighed to himself as Nick slid back out the door. He turned to look at himself in the mirror again.

He reached over and picked up the razor again, flicking it on with his thumb. Tilting his chin down, he raised his eyebrows...

...And turned off the razor with a sigh, setting it gently aside.

"Maybe just one more year."


End file.
